The Chinese government has defended the detention camps, claiming they are vocational "re-education centres" for combating terrorism and religious extremism. "Some Western forces hyping up the so-called Xinjiang-related issues are actually launching unprovoked attacks on China to serve their own ulterior motives," Adama Compaoré, Burkina Faso's ambassador, was quoted as saying at the event in March dubbed Xinjiang in the Eyes of African Ambassadors to China.
The event was also attended by Sudan and Congo-Brazzaville, whose envoy Daniel Owassa reportedly said he supported what China has called a series of anti-terrorism measures in the region, saying he appreciated "Xinjiang's great development achievements in various fields in recent years". Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the gathering was an example of Africa's silence on a key global concern.